Pueblo, Colo. firefighters at Fire Station 1 were awakened at a few minutes past midnight Oct. 23 by a passing motorist who informed them of a building fire just a few blocks away. Firefighters were able to observe fire showing from a building while mounting their apparatus.
Upon arrival, crews found heavy fire showing from a half-block long building of brick and block construction. The building, built in the late 1800's, was most recently the site of the Rocky Mountain Cold Storage, but had been vacant for the last several years.
Firefighters had responded to previous calls for small fires and EMS calls for transients who had taken up residence in the abandoned building.
The initial response consisted of Engine 1, Truck 1, Squad 1, Chief 3, Engine 3 and Engine 5.
Shortly after the arrival of the initial response, command requested two additional engines, Engine 4 (a quint) and Engine 6, and command called for a defensive only attack.
The fire was under control by daybreak. By that time, eight of the departments' ten engines were called into service, in addition to the departments reserve ladder truck and reserve Snorkel. Two reserve engines were also put into service with off-duty personnel called back from home.
The bulk of the fire attack was conducted with aerial streams provided by Engine 4, Truck 1, the reserve truck and Snorkel, and also numerous ground monitors and deck guns.
One firefighter sustained a minor injury. The cause of the fire is under investigation by a joint task force of Pueblo Fire Department, Pueblo Police Department, Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
